


Christmas Gifting

by Ultra



Series: The Literati Advent Calendar 2019 [11]
Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Books, Christmas, Christmas Presents, F/M, Office Party, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21695107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: Rory organised the office Secret Santa, but why hasn't she got a gift herself?
Relationships: Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano
Series: The Literati Advent Calendar 2019 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2020225
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Christmas Gifting

_December 2013_

Rory wasn’t sure how she got fast-shuffled into running the Secret Santa at work. She had only had her assistant editor’s job at the publishing house for a couple of weeks when her boss told her it was her responsibility to organise the event. It had all come together pretty easily in the end, or so it seemed, and yet, when Rory came to handing out all the gifts from the enormous Santa sack, she realised there was one missing. There was no gift for her.

Frowning hard, Rory checked the bag again. She should have a gift. After all, she bought one for somebody else and everyone around her seemed to have their own box, gift bag, or strangely shaped package to unwrap. It was just her that was lacking.

“Looking for this?” said a voice and Rory pulled her head back out of the sack to see a man holding out a box to her that bore her own name.

“Oh, thank you,” she said, taking it out of his hands. “Where did you find it?”

“In my desk?” said the stranger, looking somewhat awkward. “I know, it’s supposed to be Secret Santa, but I left it in my desk and forgot to put it with the others, then I was out for a couple of days, so yeah. Merry Christmas?” he tried hopefully.

“Thank you, again,” said Rory, laughing at his story. “So, should I call you Santa?”

“Jess,” he told her, holding out a hand for her to shake, not an easy task with the gift between her own hands still, but they managed somehow. “I’m gonna go ahead and apologise if you don’t like it,” he said, tilting his head at the box she held. “I mean, I don’t think it can be as bad as what I got but...”

“Should I ask what your gift was?”

“Probably not.” Jess shook his head. “Pretty sure it came from one of the girls in human resources. Let’s just say if I didn’t know that she liked me before, I do now.”

“Wow.” Rory coloured at the very idea. “I, uh... Have fun with that.”

“Not gonna happen,” said Jess firmly. “I mean, I’m sure she’s a great person but she’s not really my type. You know I asked her once what her favourite book was. I figure we work at a publishing house and just because she’s not directly working with the books, she has to have good taste, right?”

“Wrong?” Rory guessed.

“ _Fifty Shades Darker_.”

Rory’s hand shot up to cover her mouth as she laughed too loudly for a public arena. Jess laughed too, then he gestured towards the gift Rory was still holding.

“You gonna open that?”

“Oh, right,” she said, popping the lid off the box and peering inside. “Oh my God. Jess, this is... How did you know?” she checked, marvelling at the first edition of _The Fountainhead_ in her hands.

“I heard you talking about it a couple of times in the break room. You were really passionate about it, and before you say it, no, I didn’t blow the budget requirements. Truth is somebody gave that to me a while back and it’s not really my taste. No offence but Ayn Rand was a political nut.”

“But no-one can write a forty-page monologue like she can,” said Rory, looking up at him with a grin. “This is incredible, Jess. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, Rory,” he told her, smiling back. “So, you think you’re going to like working here?”

“Honestly? I wasn’t sure,” she admitted, smiling slightly, “but now? Yes, I think so.”


End file.
